A 2006 Brandywine High School graduate has been killed while serving in Afghanistan in the U.S. Navy.
Benjamin Rast, 23, a hospital corpsman, was killed Wednesday by a hellfire rocket. The Department of the Navy could not provide more information Friday.
His father, Robert Rast of South Bend, declined an interview with the Star, but said he is “extremely proud” of his son.
“I’m extremely distraught,” he said.
Robert Rast said the family would like to hold the visitation and memorial service at the Brandywine auditorium to accommodate the large number of visitors expected to come from around the country.
Ben Rast was a standout football and baseball player at Brandywine.
According to his MySpace profile, Rast was attending Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, where he was majoring in criminal justice and minoring in public safety. He loved music and the Detroit Tigers, and he stated that his hero was “my mom.”
“A new day begins today,” Rast said in his profile. “God has been looking out for me … I’m lucky.”